You Can Make Cheesecake In An Instant Pot

Cheesecake in an Instant Pot? Yessiree Bob! Creamy, easy no left over for lunch cheesecake. Oh my. Talk about easy. Mix up some graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Press in a pan. Whip up some cream cheese filling. Pour it over the graham cracker crumbs. Set in the Instant Pot. Lock it. Set the timer. Go do something else for 37 minutes. Come back to wish I could eat you now cheesecake. Sorry good cheesecake must chill. As should you.

What is an Instant Pot?

Now, I am getting a little ahead of myself. First off, what is an Instant Pot? Well, my friend, this little kitchen appliance will be your best bud come dinner time. An Instant Pot is a pressure cooker. A stand alone little gem of a cooker. Now this is not your mama’s or grandmama’s pressure cooker. No, no. This is not that pot that needed a stove top for heat and had a little rocker on it’s lid. You remember the one you thought would explode?

This is a whole nother animal. There are safety features built into this little guy. A pressure release valve that will not allow you to open the lid until all the pressure is gone. Mine has 7 built in functions. Just press a button for the type of food you want to cook. No guess work.

The only reason I even know about the Instant Pot is because it is all over Pinterest. I kept seeing posts about this amazing cooker.

The Best Spaghetti Ever

Then one day I saw a Youtube video on it. I had to try it out. My first dinner was frozen meatballs, dried spaghetti, a jar of spaghetti sauce and some water. I dumped it all in. Closed the lid. Set the timer for 10 minutes and hoped for the best. Needless to say that was the best spaghetti dinner I have ever had.

Having made baked beans, potato salad, beef stew, pot roast, oatmeal and more, I love my Instant Pot. It is exciting to learn all the ways it can cook different foods. Truly a 30 minutes to dinner marvel machine.

Cheesecake In An Instant Pot

Back to the epic dessert called Cheesecake in an Instant Pot. Now I have never made a true baked in the oven with a water bath cheesecake. The mere thought of adding water to a pan in the oven to make a dessert was terrifying. That was something only a real chef would do. What if the cheesecake cracked? Like the San Andreas fault? Would it still be edible? No sirree Bob. I am not going that route.

The real reason to get an Instant Pot is to make cheesecake. If you never make anything else, the price of admission is worth it. Granted the cheesecake made in the Instant Pot is small. 6 to 7 inches round. Which is enough to feed 6 to 8 people. Depending on the size of the slices. Don’t expect any left overs. But really the simplicity of this cheesecake is you could make it everyday. I know that is not realistic. Calories.

The recipe I am about to share with you is simple. It is just plain ol cheesecake. No frills. Just the basics. Of course once you master the basics the possibilities are endless. Snicker cheesecake, Oreo cheesecake, chocolate chip cheesecake. Then there’s the crust. Instead of graham crackers think of the crushed cookies that could be used. I won’t even go there.

I use Neufchâtel cheese to save on some of the calories. There is not a noticeable difference in texture or taste.

Keys To Successful Cheesecake In An Instant Pot

The number one thing you must do for absolute creamy cheesecake is……………………………….

Cream cheese and eggs must be ROOM temperature.

Do not think you can whip cold cream cheese and eggs into submission. You will have a globby mess. So let those ingredients come to room temperature for at least thirty minutes.

I use my Kitchenaid with the scraper paddle attached to mix the cream cheese and sugar to a smooth consistency. Before adding the eggs.

Do Not Over Beat The Eggs

Make sure everything is smooth before adding the eggs. Mix the eggs in just till blended. No more than necessary. Trust me on this.

I use a 6 inch springform pan to make my cheesecake in. Here I am adding the graham cracker crumb mix to the pan.

I use this little tamper to press the crumbs into the pan. You could also use a flat bottomed glass.

The graham cracker crumbs are just slightly pushed onto the sides of the pan.

Tap the pan onto the counter top a couple of time to release any air bubbles. I actually drop my pan a couple of times onto the counter top.

Use a foil sling to lower the cheesecake into the instant pot. This is a long length of foil folded into thirds, lengthwise. Place the springform pan onto the middle of the sling and carefully lower the cheesecake into the instant pot. The sling handles make it easier to remove the cheesecake out once cooked, Before placing the lid on, tuck the sling handles in the pot.

Close the lid. Set for 37 minutes.

Once cooked, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it from the sides.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Pour into greased 6 inch springform pan. Press crumbs onto bottom and partially on the side of the pan. Put pan into freezer while you prepare the filling.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and heavy cream till smooth.

Add eggs, one at a time. Blending till just combined. Do not over mix the eggs into the filling.

Remove pan with graham cracker crust from freezer.

Pour filling over graham cracker crust in pan. Set aside.

Pour 2 1/2 cups of water into inner pot of pressure cooker.

Place trivet inside the inner pot.

Cover the cheesecake pan with foil to protect it from moisture.

Using a sling, lower the cheesecake pan into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Tuck ends of sling inside pot.

Place liid on Instant Pot and close. Set valve to sealing.

Using Manual, set the time for 37 minutes.

When timer beeps, allow a Natural Release. Do not turn off Instant Pot. During the Natural Release, the cheesecake continues to cook during this time.

When the valve has dropped, remove lid and take out cheesecake using sling.

Take off foil cover.

Using a paper towel, absorb any water that may be on the top of the cheesecake.

Allow cheesecake to cool at room temperature for one hour. Then place in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight to completely chill.

Remove springform ring before serving. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the ring before removing.